IT was the most British of occasions with tradition, pomp and ceremony to the fore as the Royal Navy's latest vessel slid into Southampton's River Itchen to the sound of Rule Britannia.

Scores of Union flags were waved and the band of the Royal Marines played the National Anthem as HMS Severn was officially named and launched yesterday by Felicity Guild, wife of Rear Admiral Nigel Guild, Controller of the Navy.

A bottle of champagne smashed against the hull and the new offshore patrol vessel eased down the slipway into the water.

The ceremony had to be brought forward by half an hour because of increasing strength of the wind.

HMS Severn is one of the last ships to be built at Vosper Thornycroft's long-established yard at Woolston. The company is beginning to move its operation to new facilities at Portsmouth.

Any sadness about the closure of the yard was briefly forgotten as the workforce and hundreds of guests celebrated the launching of the second of the Royal Navy's River Class patrol vessels.

The final vessel in the class, HMS Mersey, is expected to be completed by May.

The launch was an excuse for children from Sholing Technical College, Ludlow Junior School, Woolston Senior School and Sholing Junior School to leave the classroom and join the ceremony.